UCU recommend international academic boycott ballot

The UCU have just announced a consultation to establish an international academic boycott of the University.

The UCU invoked a dispute procedure last week and have taken the further step to recommend the boycott in response to the ongoing discussions with the three unions regarding the restructure of the Faculty of Biological Sciences (FBS) and implications for unplaced FBS staff. This step has been taken by the UCU despite plans to meet next Monday with the management team to try to resolve this dispute.

The management team remains committed to seeking satisfactory solutions for the staff that remain unplaced following the restructure and to avoid compulsory redundancy and this has been the approach throughout nine months of discussions.  Given the clear sensitivities for the staff affected by the restructure, it is felt that further communications are inappropriate at this stage in the process.